FIFA World Cup 2018
The FIFA World Cup 2018 is the 1st edition of the greatest tournament ever. It will oppose the 24 best teams from all over the world for the 1st world title ever. Russia was chosen to host the tournament. The 23 remaining teams have qualified by winning the best spots in each continental tournament. This is the first tournament who will include the "player of the match system" who will give an award for the best player in each match in the whole tournament. Entrants The 24 spots are divided into all the confederations like this: *1 spot for the host (Russia) *11 spots for UEFA (+ Russia) *3 spots for the duo AFC/OFC *3 spots for CAF *2 spots for CONCACAF *4 spots for CONMEBOL Host Stadiums Russia put 12 host stadiums for the competition. Since some teams are unable to play in Russia, because they aren't added to the World Cup update, their matches will be played in the Donbass Arena, in Ukraine. So the 13 stadiums are: * Central Stadium * Cosmos Arena * Donbass Arena * Fisht Olympic Stadium * Kaliningrad Stadium * Kazan Arena * Krestovsky Stadium * Luzhniki Stadium * Mordovia Arena * Nizhny Novgorod Stadium * Otkritie Arena * Rostov Arena * Volgograd Arena Seeding The first step for the seeding is to choose the pots, all based on the general level of the 24 teams (except Russia, who will be in the pot 1, as the host, with the 5 best teams). The rules for the seeding: * Russia is automatically in group A, at the position A1. * Each group will be composed of one team from each pot. * There will be continental limitations to diversify the matches. The maximums per continent will be this way: ** 2 teams per group for UEFA. ** 1 team per group for AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, OFC. Tournament The tournament will be played in two phases: Group Stage and Elimination Stage. Group Stage: the 24 teams are seeded into 6 groups of 4 teams. Like always, each group works like a close championship where each team play one time against the 3 others. 3 points are given for each win, 1 point for a tie, and nothing for a lose. At the end, the top 2 teams of each group qualify (for the first time) for the round of 16 (1st turn in the Elimination Stage). After all the groups have finished all their matches, there will be a comparison between the teams who end 3rd in the 6 groups. Then the top 4 teams (on results in the group stage) are qualified as well for the Elimination Stage. Elimination Stage: for the first time a new round was played: the round of 16. Because the number of groups (and the number of team qualified for each rank) are not optimised for a properly distribution for the final board, a new rule will appear: at the end of the group stage, the 16 teams qualified will be ranked from 1 to 16: the 6 teams who ends 1st will take the ranks 1st to 6th, the 6 teams who ends 2nd the ranks 7th to 12nd and the four teams who ends 3rd the ranks 13rd to 16th. Then the teams will be oppose in the board as the level of their performance: 1 vs 16, 2 vs 15 etc... Group Stage Group A Thursday, 21st of june Russia 3-0 Iran Luzhniki Stadium A. Dzagoev 5', 66' F. Smolov 90' BP: A. Dzagoev Friday, 22nd of june Argentina 0-0 Netherlands Volgograd Arena BP: Cillessen Tuesday, 26th of june Netherlands 1-0 Russia Cosmos Arena M. Depay 42' BP: van Dijk Iran 1-2 Argentina Kaliningrad Stadium R. Cheshmi 88' A. Jahanbaksh 19'(OG) G. Higuain 31' BP: R. Cheshmi Saturday, 30th of june Argentina 2-0 Russia Fisht Olympic Stadium E. Banega 26' P. Dybala 86' BP: Biglia Iran 0-0 Netherlands Otkritie Arena BP: Beiranvand Group B Friday, 22nd of june Uruguay 0-0 Czech Republic Volgograd Arena BP: Giménez Ivory Coast 0-0 Slovenia Donbass Arena (replace the Mordovia Arena) BJ: Jokić Tuesday, 26th of june Slovenia 1-0 Uruguay Donbass Arena (replace the Rostov Arena) J. Kurtic 90' BP: Samardžić Wesneday, 27th of june Czech Republic 1-1 Ivory Coast Donbass Arena (replace the Central Stadium) J. Jankto 85' J. Seri 23' BP: J. Seri Sunday, 1st of july Ivory Coast 0-0 Uruguay Donbass Arena (replace the Luzhniki Stadium) BP: Godin Czech Republic 0-0 Slovenia Donbass Arena (replace the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium) BP: Skubic Notice the fact that Ivory Coast and Czech Republic ends in a perfect tie at the end of the group stage. A draw was made to determinate who will rank 2nd. Czech Republic was drawn and take the 2nd rank, qualifying them directly to the round of 16. Anyway, Ivory Coast still qualify for the round of 16 since they end in the 4 best 3rds. Group C Saturday, 23rd of june United States 0-0 Croatia Central Stadium BP: Howard New Zealand 1-1 France Krestovsky Stadium S. Singh 78' O. Dembele 84' BP: Marinović Wesneday, 27th of june France 1-0 United States Nizhny Novgorod Stadium A. Griezmann 71' BP: Lloris Croatia 1-0 New Zealand Volgograd Arena L. Modric 49' BP: Rakitić Monday, 2nd of july New Zealand 0-1 United States Rostov Arena J. Brook 90' BP: Howard Croatia 0-1 France Kalinigrad Stadium Š. Vrsaltko 83' A. Griezmann 45' BP: Mbappé Notice: United States and Croatia ends in a perfect tie. For determinate who will end 2nd or 3rd, the 2 teams were opposed on fair play, and there is a yellow car given to Croatia, who leads United States to take the 2nd rank and Croatia the 3rd rank, like for Czech Republic and Ivory Coast in group B, United States and Croatia did qualify for the round of 16. Group D Saturday, 23rd of june Morocco 3-0 Canada Rostov Arena N. Dirar 49', 66' K. El Ahmadi 71' BP: N. Dirar Sunday, 24th of june Belgium 3-0 Romania Nizhny Novgorod Stadium K.De Bruyne 17' E. Hazard 41' M. Batshayi 80' BP: K. De Bruyne Thursday, 28th of june Romania 1-2 Morocco Fisht Olympic Stadium M. El Kajoui 81'(OG) K. Boutaib 15' Y. Belhanda 39' BP: Benatia Canada 0-3 Belgium Krestovsky Stadium E. Hazard 9' K. De Bruyne 41' N. Chadli 66' BP: E. Hazard Monday, 2nd of july Belgium 1-1 Morocco Central Stadium Y. Carrasco 21' E. Hazard 79' K. Boutaib 52' BP: E. Hazard Canada 0-1 Romania Cosmos Arena C. Budescu 52' BP: Tătăruşanu Group E Sunday, 24th of june Saudi Arabia 0-0 Ireland Kazan Arena BP: Al Mosailem Chile 2-1 Portugal Otkritie Arena P. Hernandez 6' N. Castillo 42' C. Ronaldo 11' BP: N. Castillo Thursday, 28th of june Portugal 0-0 Saudi Arabia Luzhniki Stadium BP: Pepe Ireland 1-2 Chile Cosmos Arena S. Long 59' A. Sánchez 42', 77' BP: A. Sánchez Tuesday, 3rd of july Chile 3-0 Saudi Arabia Mordovia Arena A. Sánchez 24' N. Castillo 44' C. Aranguiz 52' BP: N. Castillo Ireland 1-0 Portugal Kazan Arena R. Brady 16' J. McClean 40' BP: R. Brady Group F Monday, 25th of june Nigeria 0-0 Spain Otkritie Arena BP: Ramos Germany 1-1 Peru Fisht Olympic Stadium T. Muller 87' R. Tapia 45' BP: Farfán Thursday, 28th of june Peru 0-1 Nigeria Kaliningrad Stadium A. Iwobi 65' BP: Uzoho Spain 0-0 Germany Kazan Arena BP: Neuer Tuesday, 3rd of july Germany 1-0 Nigeria Krestovsky Stadium T. Muller 16'(P) BP: Uzoho Spain 2-0 Peru Mordovia Arena Diego Costa 16' Sergio Busquets 73' Iago Aspas 84' BP: Isco Elimination phase At the end of the group stage, the teams who ends between the 1st and the 3rd place in each group will be taken in a global ranking involving the 18 teams. The ranking will be decided following these rules: # The teams who ends 1st will takes the best ranks (1 to 6), followed by the runner-ups (7 to 12) and then the 3rds (13 to 18) # the top 16 is qualified for the Elimination phase: # The 1st round matches are equilibrate: 1 vs 16, 2 vs 15... Ranking after the group stage Round of 16 Sunday, 8th of july Chile 2-1 Ivory Coast Donbass Arena (replace the Otkritie Arena) A. Sánchez 6' C. Aranguiz 17' N. Pepe 40' BP: Vidal Germany 4-1 Netherlands Mordovia Arena M. Özil 28' S. Khedira 52' T. Muller 65' T. Werner 82' R. Babel 19' BP: M. Özil France 2-0 Nigeria Kazan Arena A. Griezmann 57' P. Pogba 60' BP: Hernandez Spain 1-0 Czech Republic Central Stadium Sergio Busquets 31' BP: Sergio Busquets Monday, 9th of july Belgium 4-3 (Pr.) Russia Fisht Olympic Stadium D. Mertens 16' R. Lukaku 76', 95' M. Dembele 118' F. Smolov 43', 81', 99'(P) BP: F. Smolov Morocco 1-1 (4-1 Pe.) Ireland Cosmos Arena A. Bouhaddouz 105' C. Hourihane 101' BP: M. Boussoufa Argentina 1-0 Croatia Nizhny Novgorod Stadium M. Lanzini 83' BP: Guzmán Slovenia 1-1 (4-5 Pe.) United States Donbass Arena (replace the Kaliningrad Stadium) J. Iličić 11' B. Wood 23' BP: Howard Quarter-Finals Thursday, 12nd of july Chile 2-1 (Pr.) Germany Fisht Olympic Stadium A. Sánchez 17' M. Diaz 94' T. Werner 37' BP: M. Diaz France 1-0 (Pr.) Spain Rostov Arena A. Griezmann 108' BP: Thiago Friday, 13rd of july Belgium 2-3 Morocco Otkritie Arena J. Verthongen 45' E. Hazard 72' D. Mertens 83' M. Boussoufa 7' K. Boutaib 21' Y. Ait Bennasser 90' BP: K. Boutaib Argentina 1-0 United States Volgograd Arena G. Higuain 34' BP: Mercado Semi-Finals Monday, 16th of july Chile 1-2 France Luzhniki Stadium E. Paredes 83' T. Lemar 16' L. Hernandez 24' O. Giroud 54' BP: O. Giroud Tuesday, 17th of july Morocco 2-1 (Pr.) Argentina Krestovsky Stadium H. Ziyech 77' Y. Ait Bennasser 109' H. Higuain 84' BP: N. Amrabat 3rd place match Saturday, 21st of july Chile 0-0 (5-3 Pe.) Argentina Krestovsky Stadium BP: J. Mascherano Final Statistics Ranking Best scorers 5 goals 4 goals 3 goals 2 goals 1 goal Own goal Awards of the best player 3 times 2 times 1 time Fair play Yellow cards Category:Tournaments Category:FIFA World Cup